Oftentimes it takes someone else’s hard work and vision to see something artistic in something like manhole covers. As an ex-Paris resident, I’ve seen a lot of the city’s manhole covers because, well, you HAVE to look down at the ground more intensely and more often (compared to other cities) to watch that you don’t step in…anything unpleasant, if you know what I mean. I do remember seeing some cool covers, then got quickly distracted by the task at hand.

This website shows a large collection of manhole covers from all over France, and some of those only live on this particular website because the originals have been replaced. Consider it an online Manhole Cover Museum. There are some very cool designs, so take a look and see. You gotta love the sense of humor coming from the designer that created the cover that looks like a face (pictured above).

Take a look at the 172 Manhole covers here: Manhole Covers in France